Matt Wilde has had a busy year of both high profile corporate commissions and of personal retrospection, transporting viewers to his cameo filled memories of the early 80’s in New York.

With his effortless take on urban cool, Matt has once again delivered a collection of paintings full of wit and charm, drawing in the great and the good of that era including John & Yoko, Woody Allen, Warhol,Blondie and countless others. The darker, underlining narrative references the lead up to Mark Chapman’s fateful decision to end the life of John Lennon on 8th December 1980.

Letting Go

“I wanted Letting Go to be a positive, fun, bright painting relating to the mid to late 70’s in New York. When I look at images of John and Yoko at this time this is how it makes me feel, it feels happy, it feels positive. He wasn’t a Beatle he was a Dad and husband “

Letting Go (detail)

Letting Go (detail 2)

Matt moves forward two years for his next piece to 1982. Again, this is full of American pop culture references of the time, including: Madonna (who was dating Basquait at the time) , McCartney, Tootsie, The Fonz, Keith Haring and Mork(Mork and Mindy actually being a spin off from Happy Days) to name but a few!

Abracadabra

Abracadabra (detail)

Abracadabra (detail 2)

Off Track.

As well as his NY series, in another of Matt’s homages including John Lennon, he has just completed this wonderful depiction of The Beatles rooftop concert. This was their final public performance, a concert from the roof of the headquarters of the band’s multimedia corporation Apple in Saville Row. In a 42-minute set, The Beatles were heard playing nine takes of five songs before the Police asked them to reduce the volume!

Don’t let Me Down.

Stepping Out.

This features Liverpool’s famous Hope Street with The Philharmonic Hall on the right, The Philharmonic Pub (with it’s famously beautiful interior) on the left and the Catholic Cathedral or ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’ as locals call it, in the background.

Completing prestigious commissions for blue chip companies EY (Ernst & Young) and Addleshaw Goddard for both of their flagship offices as part of Manchester’s St Peter’s Square £180 Million pound regeneration, a testament to Matt’s versatility, his work being equally at home in a high powered office environment as it is in a cool urban loft apartment.